Apple says it is working to quickly fix an issue that caused some iPhone alarms not to play a sound, giving their slumbering users an unexpected lie-in.

Lawmakers in the Solomon Islands have selected a pro-China candidate as their prime minister, in an indication the Pacific nation will remain a close Beijing ally.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will launch an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah regardless of truce talks with Hamas.

Australian airline Qantas says it is investigating a privacy breach on its app that left customers with access to others' personal details.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoko Kamikawa is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from 04 to 05 May 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

As per the recently issued gazette notification, the income tax payments can only be made using thre methods.

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry saw its revenue cross the US$ 1 billion mark in the first quarter (1Q24) with exports expanding by 7.7 percent in March.

The Draft Bill of the Recovery of Loans by Banks (Special Provisions) Act, allowing for the temporary suspension of the Parate Law will be taken up for debate in Parliament on 7 May.

Australia's newest budget airline suspended all its flights on Tuesday, to discuss "the ongoing viability" of its business model.

The US state department has found five units of the Israeli military responsible for gross violations of human rights in individual incidents, but says they will continue to receive US military backing.

Ukraine's commander-in-chief has said the situation on the frontline has worsened in the face of multiple Russian attacks.

The Ministry of Defense announced that a US research ship was denied permission to conduct research activities in the Sea of Sri Lanka.

A massive scam is being operated where money is transferred from current and savings accounts to other multiple accounts without any notice to the account holder, an Opposition MP revealed in Parliament.

Having encountered “some setbacks” in the first round of sovereign bond restructuring talks in London last week, the Steering Committee of the Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders and the Sri Lankan official negotiators have pledged to continue the dialogue to arrive at a consensus within a few weeks, Finance Ministry sources confirmed.

The Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has been back-tracking the implementation of reforms leading to a revenue collection shortfall this year although it has exceeded the 2024 first quarter target by 13 per cent.

WIDE ANGLE

The 22nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief was held virtually earlier this week, hosted by Vietnam and co-chaired by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, and attended by 55 participants from ARF member countries.

Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne met Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation where they discussed a wide range of topics, including counter-terrorism efforts, cyber security and defence cooperation, the Ministry of Defence said.

Oriflame, a global beauty company, has announced its decision to withdraw from the Sri Lankan market effective 15 May 2024, citing a range of economic challenges that have made its operations unsustainable.

Sri Lanka has been recognised as the 5th best country to visit in your lifetime, according to CEOWORLD Magazine’s prestigious rankings for 2024.